


Gold Lotus Gambit

by Dagonet (AgentDagonet)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Airbender!Eggsy, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Earthbender!Dean, Gen, Nanowrimo Project, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Waterbender!Harry, White Lotus? What White Lotus?, character tags to come when they wouldn't be spoilery, no beta? no problem!, tech's caught up to real world and/or beyond- couple hundred years after Korra, the Avatar isn't really important anymore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentDagonet/pseuds/Dagonet
Summary: A dark-skinned man and razor-legged girl sat before the withered Tree of Time, leant forward with wide eyes, willing and eager to do whatever was necessary for this alliance to work.'I'm listening, Valentine. Convince me.' Vaatu spoke, satisfaction and curiosity melded together in every syllable; perhaps this time he would succeed- the pestilence finally eradicated.It was hours before they left, but leave they did, a slight swagger in their step and an unfamiliar glint of power in their eyes. The spirit portal wasn't all that far away, but they meandered around for a while longer- their mission was accomplished, much sooner and more simply than expected, so where was the harm in enjoying the journey home?
Comments: 29
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue: Eggsy

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my NaNoWriMo project for 2020! I've had this idea since I saw [this fanart](https://agentdagonet.tumblr.com/post/117687386476/) a couple months after the first film came out.
> 
> But, to be honest, I didn't feel confident as an author, then; I didn't feel like I could do the idea justice. But, all these years later and over 250k words under my belt for the fandom (wow!), I think this is something I can do. Or at least try! The idea has changed a LOT since that first idea, so I hope you enjoy the ride! 
> 
> There's 2 prologues- I couldn't find a better way to separate the distinct scenes that allowed them to have their gravity without detracting from the others.

Eggsy missed his dad, sometimes; he was in the army, he was important and had a big job so he wasn’t home very much, and Eggsy really missed him. Really _really_ missed him. And, sometimes, if he thought about his dad really hard (his hugs, his smile, his laugh, the funny shapes he’d make the ice in Eggsy’s water, soap bubbles dancing in the bath) he could see him. His mum said it was _special_ , the way he could see dad- even though dad couldn’t see him. He was like a ghost- the first time he tried to touch his dad his hand went inside like water. It was weird, but it wasn’t scary. 

Sometimes, things _were_ scary. Real scary, with noises like fireworks and people yelling and fighting. And sometimes he got to watch his dad laugh with his friends, or play a game. Today, he’s up in the air and his dad is in a room, standing with some other people around a person in a chair. The man in the chair is sitting still, not even shaking his feet, and Eggsy wonders how he’s so _still._

‘By the time I’ve counted to ten, you’ll have told me what I need to know. If not, the number ten will be the last thing you hear.’ The man in the chair didn’t move, but Eggsy watched his dad standing next to the one who spoke. ‘One,’ Eggsy heard a crack and the man in the chair started to cry. ‘Two,’ Another, ‘Three,’ The man in the chair screamed without moving his mouth, and Eggsy saw some red on the floor. Where was it coming from? His dad was watching the one talking, and the other people were watching the man in the chair. ‘Four,’ More screaming. ‘Five... Six... Seven...’

Why wasn’t his dad stopping them? 

‘Eight-’ The man in the chair took a deep breath, and dad ran toward him while pushing the speaker away.

‘Sir!’ There was a loud bang, a flash of light, and dad fell down. The man who had been speaking moved his hand and the one in the chair fell off.

Neither of them moved, after. Both were covered in red. Why wasn’t he moving?

Eggsy gasped as he landed back in his body, tears drying on his cheeks without really understanding why.

* * *

Harry avoided the house for an inordinate amount of time; wandered the neighbourhood, had a pint at the local, and only when he couldn’t avoid it any longer did he go up the stairs and knock at the door. There was a flash of text at the corner of his lens, a long line of laughter, and Harry was barely able to tap out a succinct “fuck you” before the door opened.

‘Can I help you, sir?’ A smiling woman opened the door, a vision of orange, red, and yellow with flowers in her hair and a Water betrothal necklace with a swirling orb at its centre resting against her collarbone.

‘I have news of Lee, ma’am.’ Perhaps it was the tone, the hushed not-quite-whisper, or maybe she could see it in his eyes- but the smile faded to a placid blankness as she gestured inside. He stepped inside, idly taking in the open room with its simple shelves covered in knickknacks- a small cabinet filled with snow globes tucked into a corner with a young boy sat before it. ‘There was a training accident a few days ago, ma’am, and your husband sacrificed himself to save the rest of those present.’

Michelle’s eyes flashed toward her son even as the blood left from her face in a flash, she collapsed to the sofa and covered her face with both hands. Trying to muffle her tears, it seemed, before she pulled them away and revealed only a grim frown and hard eyes despite the tears he could see trying to break free. They escaped not too long after, but Michelle refused to wipe them away, instead clenching her hands into fists on her lap.

‘I’m sorry that your husband’s bravery cannot be publicly celebrated, I hope you understand why that’s the case.’ Harry used every trick he knew to keep himself under control while facing Lee’s widow. She was obviously devastated, and angry, but she kept herself composed but for the flash of her eyes and the tears on her cheeks. Their son sat in the corner with a snow globe in his hands, couldn’t be older than 6, and he kept looking at them. Understandable, he was a stranger in his home and his mother was crying, but he didn’t seem afraid- just curious.

‘I can try- I wish I knew more; I didn’t even know he was so far along in his training.’ At least Lee had had the forethought to tell his wife he was working to ride through the ranks of the White Lotus. A noble venture, if not wholly accurate, that would mitigate a large amount of the blame for his loss. For all their publicity when caretaking for the Avatar, they were still seen as an overall secretive and elite organization. Kingsman capitalised on this often, even using intricately carved pai sho tiles to commemorate loss- like the one he was currently attempting to give to Michelle Unwin.

‘Nonetheless I would like to present you with this,’ Harry lifted the tile, letting the light hit the intricate design before trying to place it into her palm. When she leant away, he tucked it back into his fist before continuing. ‘If you look closely on the back, there’s a number; as a more concrete gesture of our gratitude and sympathies, we’d like to offer you… well, let’s call it a favour. If you call the number on the back, tell the operator “Excalibur.” That will let me know it’s you, and you can request anything you need.’

‘Thank you, but what I need is my husband back- and you can’t do that.’ Michelle snapped, quickly glancing at her son before turning back to glare at Harry. ‘I don’t want no charity, we’ll figure it out.’ She looked away, the dismissal clear in her eyes, but Harry had to do something for Lee’s family. Life in the outskirts of Republic City wasn’t simple or easy, and Harry knew better than most how Air Sensibilities of violence could bring more harm than safety to a home in such a place.

It was an unfortunate side effect of being intimately acquainted with the world at its best and worst- the spaces in between, where people trying to do the right thing were caught in the crosshairs, were depressingly familiar territory. He was doing what he could- he wouldn’t force help where it wasn’t wanted, but that didn’t mean Michelle was the only one he could offer it to.

‘What’s your name, young man?’ Harry knelt down, smiling softly as the boy scrunched his face briefly in confusion. He put the snow globe on the floor and looked up at Harry; or at least it looked as if he was looking at Harry, but a moment after a feather came down from the shelf and tickled Harry’s nose. He sneezed, which made Eggsy giggle, and though he could feel Michelle’s eyes on him he settled more firmly onto the floor in front of the young man.

‘Eggsy.’ His eyes were trained on the feather, his hands following it and tongue barely peeking out from between his lips, and Harry couldn’t help but be charmed. Behind his back Harry flicked open the cap on his water skin belt and pulled out a thin stream, for the moment forgetting his glasses footage and instead focusing his attention on making the boy giggle again. There were worse ways of ensuring his conciliatory gift would be remembered than laughter, and Harry found himself smiling along as young Eggsy pulled the feather this way and that while watching the water chase along with bright eyes.

After a while, Eggsy seemed to deflate a little, feather gently landing in his hand and he looked at it before looking back up at Harry who put his water away with a tilt of his brow.

‘Daddy’s not coming home, is he?’ It was quiet, barely a whisper, and based on Michelle’s lack of reaction she likely hadn’t heard Eggsy ask. Somehow, Harry was grateful.

‘I’m afraid not, this time. I’m sorry.’

‘He saved you?’ Harry couldn’t recall having said as much, but saw no harm in nodding to the boy’s question. He pulled the tile back out from his pocket, rolling it across his fingers before placing it atop the feather in Eggsy’s hand.

‘Can you take care of this, Eggsy?’ Harry made to stand, and paused on one knee, ‘And your mum, too.’

Eggsy nodded, entirely distracted by examining the tile, and Harry smiled once more before standing to his full height and making his way out the door.


	2. Prologue: Valentine

A dark-skinned man and razor-legged girl sat before the withered Tree of Time, leant forward with wide eyes, willing and eager to do whatever was necessary for this alliance to work.

'I'm listening, Valentine. Convince me.' Vaatu spoke, satisfaction and curiosity melded together in every syllable; perhaps this time he would succeed- the pestilence finally eradicated.

It was hours before they left, but leave they did, a slight swagger in their step and an unfamiliar glint of power in their eyes. The spirit portal wasn't all that far away, but they meandered around for a while longer- their mission was accomplished, much sooner and more simply than expected, so where was the harm in enjoying the journey home?

When they made it home, feeling more than slightly drunk despite not being intoxicated in the slightest, their house wasn’t as empty as it had been when they left. The lights turned on revealing a man in a yellow suit, light hair swooping away from his face and a sheepish smile on his face as he stepped back minutely.

‘ I suppose asking to borrow a cup of sugar would be a step too far?’ Gazelle leapt forward, and Valentine closed the door before he propped himself against a wall to watch her work. She pulled her jewellery apart with a thought, forming them into blades that shot quickly at the intruder.

The man flattened himself to the ground, gracefully rolling up to his feet a distance away before cracking his neck and shaking a hand before grinning and jumping back toward her. She flipped gracefully over him, not anticipating his hand grasping firmly to her blade as it shot off an electrical charge that brought her to her knees. She twitched on the floor, and the suited man smirked down at her.

‘Maybe you’ll be able to answer some questions for me, Ga-’ He cut himself off, looking down with shock at the blade protruding from his torso before there was a pressure at the back of his head.

‘I think it’ll be us asking the questions, man.’ Gazelle was pulling herself to her feet, Valentine still behind the intruder with a gun pressed to his head, as she watched in seeming slow motion the man lift his hand to his torso. And maybe if she’d been thinking clearly, or if Valentine had been able to see, they’d have known what was going to happen. 

But as it was, they didn’t, and soon all they had left was a twitching body, yellow suit with intricate buttoned sleeves, and a small collection of shorted out circuitry.


	3. Chapter 1

Eggsy’d never been able to settle into the meditations his mother used to say were important to airbenders. He had to be moving, engaged,  _ aware _ \- though maybe that was more the fault of Dean’s intrusive presence than anything else. She didn’t understand, but she’d never felt the wind the way he did in his soul- just in her mind, in her heart, in the way Aang’s teachings had guided her life as an Acolyte.

Dean, though- Dean was a stopping force, solid and unmovable and more than a little cruel in his pigheadedness. He didn’t see any difference between harsh words and harsh blows, and Michelle had long ago stopped pushing against the stone for the sake of Daisy. The brightest blessing in their lives, as unexpected as she had been; someone to focus on and keep healthy when everything else was well outside of their control.

Dean’s goons weren’t much better, Eggsy mused over his pint as they started making a ruckus- thought they had right of way cos they could muscle their way about. The police didn’t care that much, as long as no one wound up dead, and Dean’d gotten good at intimidating people into silence. Didn’t matter how flashy they got, how much damage they did, they had the whole neighbourhood in their pockets. 

Eggsy heard the rumble of a familiar engine that was compensating for more than a lack of brains, and as it got closer he kept his gaze to the window. Ryan and Jamal were whispering to one another on the other end of the table, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the pub.

‘Why’s your mum still with him, mate? He just don’t treat her right. Not like she ain’t fit enough to get somethin’ better.’ Ryan turned toward Eggsy, forcing him to look up from glaring at the tabletop and engage in their conversation. 

‘You know well as I do that she don’t put up a fight- all that Air nonsense ‘bout non-violence. No offense, bruv.’ Jamal looked sadly at Eggsy who could do nothing but shrug in reply. It was true, the fact that his mum somehow continued to justify her strict stance non-violence when Dean left them black and blue baffled him. It was outdated and useless, in his opinion, for his mum to rely on the words of a bunch of people who’d been dead for centuries. It was part of why he’d enlisted in the Republic City Army- he wanted to feel like he was doing something beyond existing. Wanted to make a  _ difference _ .

Eggsy’s glass shot briefly upward and dumped the remainder of his beer over his head, breaking his musing suddenly before tumbling down to the table amid harsh laughter. He lifted a hand to wipe his eyes but was beaten to the punch by a flick of Jamal’s wrist as Ryan fixed the glass upright while glaring at Poodle. The liquid flowed neatly back into the glass, but Eggsy could see the odd bits of lint and hair from the brief adventure on his person. His drink was going to remain unfinished- but at least he wasn’t soggy. He let out a harsh breath and clenched a fist beneath the table before looking up at their unwelcome interruption.

‘C’n I help you?’

‘You lot think you can chat shit ‘bout us just cos our boss’ bangin’ his mum?’ Ryan opened his mouth, but Jamal placed a hand on his leg and he shut it again. There was no point in protesting- they’d already decided what they were going to believe. Best way to get out of this without property damage was to just let them have their way, a lesson unfortunately learnt through experience. When no answer came Rottie smirked and the room got hotter, and Eggsy could see the smoking edges of his fingers as he went to stand.

‘Weren’t talkin’ no shit, bruv- just heading out.’ Ryan and Jamal took that as their cue to shuffle off the bench and start making their way out the door. Eggsy stumbled, fingers twitching as he righted himself, and a set of keys settled softly into his pocket as he made his way out the door. Ryan and Jamal were just outside, tensed as if expecting a fight to follow them out the door. Which wasn’t a bad assumption to make, as often as it happened with Dean’s gang, but that wasn’t the case today.

Yet.

‘Y’know, it’s freezing- why walk?’ Eggsy lifted a hand, revealing the keys he’d pilfered floating in a ball of swirling wind with a soft jingle. Normally he’d have just let it be, but for some reason today had hit a limit Eggsy hadn’t been aware of. 

‘You jacked his keys, bruv?’

‘Obviously- and now we’re gonna nick his car.’ It was an act of defiance, maybe he had no control over the way they treated him, but if Dean’s goons were going to be arseholes anyway he may as well give them cause. The three of them piled into the car, Ryan and Jamal practically atop one another as Eggsy turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine before shooting out of the car park with a cackle he barely recognised as gleeful. He glanced in the rear-view just in time to see Rottie and Poodle stumbling through the door, the pair obviously yelling though Eggsy couldn’t hear them as he sped away.

There were sirens seconds later (which, fair, they were speeding through the city in a bright yellow car) and the flash of lights getting closer with every turn. Eggsy barely avoided crashing as an officer cut him off, but he threw the car into reverse and continued on his joyride with a cackle with Ryan and Jamal hollering in agreement. They ducked and weaved through traffic, dodging parked cars and pedestrians alike while giggling to themselves.

There was always an ambient glow to the city, the spirits giving off that small bit of light when in the human world, but in an instant there was a light where there hadn’t been a moment before, and as Eggsy peered in the rear-view he saw a something darting across the road. He swerved, desperately hoping he hadn’t hurt whatever it was in his desperation for some semblance of control even as they hit a luckily unoccupied car in the alley. They lurched forward, Eggsy’s chest pressed harshly against the steering wheel while Ryan and Jamal’s hands grappled with the seat in front of them.

‘The fuck’d you do that for? It’s just a spirit, fam.’ Jamal huffed as he ran a hand up the back of his neck, Ryan righted himself, and Eggsy pushed the door open as he gestured with his head as the sirens grew louder. In the dim light, Eggsy could see the Knowledge Seeker looking toward them, and as their eyes met it nodded once before fading into the night, a worn book held firmly in its mouth.

‘Just cos they’re different don’t make them less, bruv- now get out the car. I’ll sort this.’ The pair froze, eyes wide and lips slightly parted as if they were going to argue. They were wasting  _ time _ . ‘I said get out the  _ fucking car! _ ’ Eggsy shooed them with a hand, forcing the pair out with a gust of wind before shutting the door and huffing a breath, resigned to whatever would come next.

He could only hope that he hadn’t gone too far, this time.


	4. Chapter 2

‘I’m sure you know that there’s no such thing as honour amongst thieves, Eggsy. I’d like to think that we’ve gotten to know one another a bit over the last few years. Unfortunately not in a particularly positive way,’ the room’s temperature increased infinitesimally, ‘but I’d hardly call us  _ strangers _ .’ The police chief smiled in what Eggsy was sure was meant to be comforting, but on the woman’s face it just made her look confused.

She wasn’t wrong, though; they knew each other quite well at this point, he knew her name and her son’s name and exactly how much Dean was holding against her to keep he and his out of trouble. Which meant that there really was nothing he could offer to get himself out of this, no matter what she said for the tapes. He clenched his jaw and glared at the table, mad at himself for his weakness but madder still at the system he was trapped within. Livid at the reality of his situation, lockup couldn’t be any worse than Dean on a bad day but Daisy-

Daisy. Fuck.

‘I want to exercise my right to a phone call.’ It was, unfortunately, a phrase he had memorised shortly after coming back from Basic and knew he would have need of at least once. He knew full well the kind of man Dean was, the people he surrounded himself with- it was why he’d worked so hard to get out in the first place- but he cared more about his mother and sister than any of his own ambitions, so here he was. Exactly where he thought he’d end up- if a few years earlier than he expected, and with a far less severe, yet far more accurate, charge than he thought he’d be framed for when the time came. The police chief scoffed, a brief flash of smoke from her nostrils before she flicked an old wireless phone to the table carelessly.

‘Well, kid, I hope you’re calling Michelle- you’re set to be at least 18 months late for your next home-cooked meal.’ She rolled her eyes before leaving the room, the air cooling the slightest bit at her departure. Eggsy’s hand shook as he reached for the phone, and the other was clenched at his collarbone, where a thin chain held a weathered pai sho tile against his skin.

‘Customer complaints, how can I help you?’ This wasn’t the voice of the man who had left him the tile all those years ago, it was higher and almost sharp against his ear.

‘It’s- It’s Eggsy. And, uh, I fucked up. I’m at Republic City lock up cos I lost my temper an’ I need help and I was told that I could call here if I needed help-’

‘I’m sorry, sir, wrong numb-’ The voice hadn’t changed, but somehow felt exasperated. Eggsy wracked his brain desperately trying to figure out where he’d gone wrong, assessing and dismissing things until he figured it out and would have jumped up and celebrated had he not been partially secured to a platinum chair.

‘Fuck, wait, wait, wait- sorry, forgot the funny word from those old movers- Excalibur?’ He spoke softly, certain that someone would burst into the room and yank the phone from his hand if he spoke too loud, and paused with bated breath.

‘Your complaint has been noted, and we hope we haven’t lost your patronage with us.’ There was a dial tone after, and Eggsy dropped his hand to the table, barely remembering to soften the fall of his hand as he stared blankly into the distance. 

‘... Oooooookay then,’ Eggsy sighed, slouched in the uncomfortable chair, hoping beyond reason that calling that number hadn’t been a monumental mistake.

Unbeknownst to Eggsy, a moment after he’d dropped the phone, the police chief received a call to her person cell authorising his release with no charges or blemish to his record. It wasn’t one of Dean’s people, just someone with the correct authorisation codes, and she took a moment to gather herself. She opened a door on the wall, revealing a Cooler, not anywhere near as cold as the ones on the Boiling Rock were, according to historian’s records, but cool enough that she could step inside and allow her rage to flow out and through her until she could collect herself again.

Fuck did she hate bureaucracy.

‘Well, Eggsy, it looks like you lucked out this time,’ She entered the room as if she’d expected this outcome all along, head held high and hands propped against her hips with another officer just behind her. The other man lifted a hand, and the cables that had barely been holding his legs to the chair flew back onto her wrist holster as Eggsy’s head shot up with a look of disbelief. ‘You’re free to go.’

‘That’s it?’ Was the kid  _ trying _ to go to prison? She raised a brow, tying to tell him without words how stupid a question that was.

‘Just… Get out of here,’ She leant against the doorjamb as Eggsy seemed to recalibrate in light of this new information before scrambling to his feet. ‘And Eggsy,’ He froze mid step and looked back over his shoulder, ‘maybe take a break for a bit.’

‘I’ll try, Chief.’ She rolled her green eyes and huffed half a laugh before she turned away. His footsteps faded slowly, but she didn’t dare to relax until the door had closed behind him; she didn't want any more surprises.

Eggsy wasn’t sure whether to celebrate his release- his fuckups here were entirely his own, but Daisy deserved to have  _ someone _ in her corner- and he couldn’t do that from jail. And maybe he wouldn’t be able to do it for long, anyway, once he was within Dean’s sights- Eggsy was pretty sure he’d finally pushed his luck that step too far. He stepped out of the station not quite running- he didn’t want to be in there any longer than he had to be, but he didn’t want to leave so quickly that they thought he was being shifty.

He ran full tilt into an older gentleman, suit perfectly tailored and shaded lenses hiding his eyes from view, causing him to lose his grip on the slick stone and pinwheel backward. Eggsy caught him with a cushion of air unthinkingly with one had, the other offsetting his own impending fall down the steps. The man righted himself carefully as Eggsy let the cushion fade, and Eggsy allowed himself to look him over. He was familiar, like a half-remembered dream.

‘Eggsy.’ The man said his name as if he’d run into an old friend unexpectedly. As if he’d answered the phone to find pleasant news instead of a scam artist. As if there was some inside joke shared between them. And, if Eggsy wasn’t wrong, there definitely was- but he knew what happened when you assumed. ‘Would you like a lift home?’

‘Who’re you?’ Eggsy kept his jaw tense and his voice firm, but allowed his pale eyes a bit of lighthearted amusement to test the waters. He didn’t need to tell him that he had a flight suit on under his jacket or that, as an airbender, he could get home just as quick as any car if he felt like.

‘The man who got you released.’ It was  _ definitely  _ the man who’d given him the pai sho tile all those years ago, which begged the question of how he'd gotten here so quickly. Eggsy’d only made the call ten minutes ago- where was he lurking to have been able to pop up  _ right _ as he was leaving the building?

‘That ain’t an answer.’ Eggsy fought off the smirk he found pulling at his lips, not wanting to give the game away. After all, no matter their briefly shared past, they were strangers and he had no reason to trust him. 

‘A bit of gratitude wouldn’t go amiss, I think,’ The other man lowered his head a smidge and lifted a brow over the edge of his glasses, but Eggsy refused to be embarrassed. He had enough things in his life without giving in to petty feelings that benefitted no one. ‘I’m the man who gave you the pai sho tile that just saved your skin- my name is Harry.

‘Your father saved my life.’ Eggsy wasn’t entirely sure why that admission shook him. He could remember asking the sad man if his dad was coming home, that day with the snow globe. Harry had said no and Eggsy hadn’t been surprised, then, either. But the Harry in front of him seemed just as sad, and he was struck by the urge to offer the tile back, to press it to his palm with a steady hand and an understanding grin. Something small, to try and lighten a burden he didn’t know and likely wouldn’t understand. But those were childish thoughts, wants that needed to be tucked away and hidden before they were used against him.

Eggsy let out a laugh, letting his amusement loose much to Harry’s confusion (had he not thought Eggsy would remember him? Mind, he didn't really remember his face but his voice was unmistakable) before turning away with a grin. He made his way down the steps slowly, listening intently for the sound of a second set of footsteps that never came.

‘Well? You comin?’ He turned back over one shoulder, tipped his hat and gestured ahead of him with one hand that pulled some leaves along, and watched as Harry seemed to nod to himself before resting his umbrella on one wrist and following behind him.


	5. Chapter 3

‘So you always been Lotus, then?’ Eggsy slouched in the booth, running a finger up and down the side of the condensation on his glass. He’d assumed that Harry would be doing more talking, but he seemed distracted. He’d switched his sunglasses for clear ones, so they apparently weren’t a fashion choice, and despite their setting in the Black Prince he seemed to hold himself as if dining with royalty. Stiff.

‘Not quite,’ Eggsy waited for elaboration, but Harry took a long drink from his glass and seemed happy to simply sit and do nothing. Frustrating.

‘So were you in the army, before? That where you met my dad?’ Harry took a deep breath through his nose and pushed his pint slightly to the left before he leant forward with his hands clasped upon the table.

‘I met your father while gathering information on a gang that was wreaking havoc along the western shore of the Earth Kingdom. They were convinced, incorrectly so, that the nations needed harsher borders and separations between them. That they needed to keep to “their own kind”,’ Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes, ‘and  _ your father...’ _ Harry stopped and laughed to himself, and Eggsy watched as the tension he’d come into the pub with started to fade. He’d hoped to learn about his dad, the man he barely remembered and his mother refused to speak of, but he didn’t want to force the issue.

(She’d taken off her betrothal necklace and put it into a box not long after his death, and Eggsy had stolen that box after Dean’s first rampage through the house. The home-movers were a lost cause, the pictures wrinkled and cracked, but he hadn’t found the necklace. Mostly because his mum had put it from her mind and forgotten about it entirely.)

‘Your father was in the middle of the town, yelling at one of the members. He’d managed to incapacitate the man, frozen his hands and feet together, and had pulled out a strip of photographs. Do you know,’ Harry met Eggsy’s eyes directly for the first time, one end of his lips pulled up, ‘how amusing it is to watch a man aggressively tell someone how much he loves his family? How wonderful it was to have married into the Air Nation and how much he’d learnt from his Earth Kingdom neighbours? It was the highlight of my trip, and I never forgot him. When a position opened, I put him forward as my candidate.’

‘And my dad saved your life?’  _ This _ was what he’d been hoping for. Any scrap of information, any fragment of a memory to try and figure out what kind of man his dad had been, and whether he could ever manage to live up to his memory.

‘The day your father died,’ Harry leant away again, and Eggsy couldn’t help the tension that settled in his spine, ‘I missed something. I underestimated our target, and if it weren’t for you father’s thoughtless courage that mistake would have cost the lives of everyone present. My life, from that day forward, is a debt that I can never truly repay. That tile,’ Harry pointed with a lazy hand, ‘was all I could offer in return for his bravery.

‘But, having read your files in light of today’s call, I can’t help but feel he’d be disappointed in where you’ve ended up.’ Eggsy flinched back as if struck, the room felt bereft of air, mouth parted and fist clenched beneath the table in a pale mockery of last night’s shenanigans.

‘You got no right to talk to me like that. You’ve got no idea-’

‘Your IQ is impressive, wonderful performance at early education, and then it all went downhill rather quickly. Petty crime, drugs, a distinct lack of employment-’

‘D’you think there’s actually as many jobs as there’s people, out here?’

‘We could set that aside and there would still be the question of why you gave up your hobbies- your gymnastic coaches had you pegged as Olympic material, and then you stopped.’

‘When you grow up ‘round someone like my stepdad you pick up new hobbies. Less “girly” hobbies, ones that get food on the table, if you catch my drift.’ Eggsy glared out the window, not wanting to give Harry the satisfaction of tears for the things he couldn’t change.

‘Ah, of course, it’s always someone else’s fault. Was he also the one who had you quit the Marines? Halfway through Basic, all of your superior officers singing your praises, and you left. Gave up.’

‘Learnin’ basically nothin’ about my dad ain’t worth the shit you’re throwing, mate. I dunno why I thought Lotus’d be different but you lot’re all the same. Judging people for shit you can’t understand. My mum went  _ mental _ thinkin’ that I’d get picked out by Lotus, bangin’ on about how I’d leave her like my dad did, endin’ up as someone disposable for someone else’s protection. Cannon fodder for people who think they’re better than us just cos they’ve got money or some special talent everyone wants.’ Eggsy wanted to slam his fist to the table, but settled for leaning forward  _ just _ enough to be in Harry’s personal space.

‘People like  _ you  _ that judge from their ivory towers, who don’t ever bother to think about  _ why _ we do the things we do or  _ how we got to that point, _ ’ Eggsy heaved a breath, his shirt ruffling in response to his near loss of temper, ‘We ain’t got much choice. An’ if we was born with the same silver spoon up our arses we’d do just as well as you.’ Harry seemed to be judging him, an unfamiliar look in his eye but a pull to his lip that was so slight Eggsy was sure he’d imagined it. He wasn’t sure if he was passing the test. He heard the door open, the sound of footsteps growling closer, but couldn’t make himself look away.

‘The fuck d’you think you’re doin’ here, Muggsy? You takin’ the piss?’ Harry looked up at Rottie and the rest of Dean’s boys, and Eggsy wanted to melt through the floor.

‘Are these fellows also simply in need of a silver suppository to prove their worth?’ Harry raised a brow, and Eggsy felt his cheeks flush as he looked from them back to Harry.

‘Nah, they’re exceptions. C’mon, let’s get out of here.’

‘Nonsense,’ Harry slouched in his seat, entirely ungentlemanly, and Eggsy wanted to wipe a hand down his face in frustration. He wasn’t going to leave the man to Dean’s goons, but he was sorely tempted to simply pick him up and move him somewhere else.

‘You ignorin’ us, Muggsy? Dean said you’re fair game after wreckin’ the car, and he don’t give a shit what your mum says. You’re finished.’ Rottie lit his fist, a deep red barely pushing past his knuckles, and Eggsy wanted to laugh at his attempt at intimidation but he had to think of more than just himself.

‘Pardon, boys, I’m sorry, excuse me,’ The group looked away from Eggsy and glared at Harry, no change when faced with an unknown. ‘Whatever it is you want with Eggsy, which I’m sure is  _ entirely  _ justified, could it wait until after I’ve finished my drink?’ Harry lifted the half full glass, suddenly soft and guiltless, ‘I’ve had a rather emotional day, you see.’ Harry blinked, doe like, at Poodle before taking a small sip from the glass with a small smile.  _ Who the fuck was he and where did  _ Harry  _ go? _

__ ‘ You should take your drink and fuck off, granddad, or you’ll get hurt and all.’ Rottie murmured as if trying to be consoling. As if he was being kind and understanding for the older gentleman with his drink and not actively threatening him and his company.

‘He ain’t jokin’- you should go.’ Eggsy never expected to get out of this unscathed, part of him hadn’t expected to get out at all, but he could try and spare Harry the abuse. No matter how big of a prick he was, he didn’t deserve to pay for Eggsy’s mistakes. Harry looked up from his drink and into Eggsy’s face and smacked his lips once before looking down regretfully at the glass and shifting to stand. Dean’s gang stepped out of his way, Rottie gestured grandly with one hand toward the door, and Harry made his way toward the door at an even pace.

‘If you’re looking for another willin’ body they’re on the corner of Smith. Can’t miss the red lanterns.’ Poodle couldn’t keep his mouth shut, especially when he knew it would hurt, and Eggsy’s face flushed in shame. He’d done plenty to keep food on the table, as much as he’d like to forget, and now Harry’s already-tarnished idea of him was only going to be worse. Harry’d stopped mid-step, not that Eggsy could really see him through the assholes surrounding him but the half a pint Harry had left behind was slowly leaving the glass. Eggsy watched in grim amusement as Poodle and the boys stared at the slowly rising mass, for the moment assuming that he wasn’t the target of Harry’s impending splash.

‘Manners,’ The top lock sliding into place pulled Poodle’s attention from the floating ball of beer.

‘Maketh,’ The barkeep walked to a back room, seemingly uncaring of the impending actions of his patrons. Eggsy heard a door close, but didn’t dare look away from the men still blocking his escape.

‘Man.’ The last bolt slid into place, and though Dean’s people had turned away from him Eggsy didn’t dare try and move. They stepped away from the table, approaching Harry, who seemed entirely nonplussed by their intimidation tactics. Harry’s shoulder stiffened, his head tilted toward a nearby mirror, and the beer stopped moving. ‘Do you know what that means?’

Silence.

‘Then let me teach you a lesson.’ In a movement apparently too quick for Poodle to catch, Harry sent an abandoned glass flying across the room with his brolly handle, and Eggsy allowed himself a smile as Rottie collapsed.

‘Are we going to stand about all day, or are we going to fight?’ The others did a slow double take between Rottie and Harry, like an old mover where something happened in slow motion, before rushing at Harry in an unorganised swarm. Eggsy saw movement from the corner of his eye, and his jaw dropped as every bit of liquid seemed to shoot out at once.

Harry never paused, his movements as fluid as the element he had dancing about the room, unafraid of using his fists or his umbrella (the fuck was it  _ made of? _ ) or far more often his opponents themselves as weapons. He swept the legs out from one and used another as a shield from an incoming blade, one made a sad attempt at wresting some liquid from Harry’s control and Eggsy laughed at his look of utter confusion when nothing came to his grand gesture. Harry smirked, lifted a brow, and Eggsy couldn’t help but be charmed.

All the while the air shimmered with a thousand icy fragments, discoloured and odd, and Eggsy only noticed halfway through the brawl that they were catching onto the boys and weighing them down. And, when Eggsy looked down at Rottie, they’d frozen him solid to the floorboards. Harry was making them waste their time, their energy, fighting him when he could have laid them all out in seconds flat apparently. There was enough moisture in the pub to drown a man, let alone incapacitate a handful of subpar benders- but Harry seemed to be  _ enjoying _ the physical side of the brawl, and Eggsy was certainly enjoying watching.

No matter how much he wished otherwise, Air just wasn’t that great of an element for combat. Especially when beset by Earth and Fire folk. Air was amazing for getaways, for exploring and evading and Eggsy loved his element with his entire being but when it came to actually _fighting back_ Air was sorely lacking if you were a decent human being. It was way more effective to use his fists, but those weren’t very helpful when faced with a stone wall. He’d learnt that the hard way. So watching something he'd desperately dreamt of come to life before him was amazing.

Harry twisted a wrist and Eggsy gasped as something flew from his watch and electrocuted the target as he fell, twitching, and Harry didn’t blink. He swept another man by the neck with the handle of his brolly before letting go swiftly enough to damage the bar as he struck, arm set at an awkward angle.

Eggsy couldn’t follow everything that was happening, Harry popping in and out from view between the chaos of the brawl, not unlike an old cartoon where a moving ball of dust was all you could see. Instead, Eggsy followed the moisture in the air, watched as it came together and broke apart, as it circled a target before choosing a new one as Harry knocked them aside physically. As if it was just there to observe, like Eggsy was, and not participate. Harry didn’t seem to rely on his bending, not the way most would teach to, and it was  _ beautiful _ . The water wasn’t so much an extension of his limbs as it was his  _ focus _ , barely touching anyone until they’d been summarily tossed to the floor.

Rottie stirred on the, grumbled to himself, and lit his fist before working to melt the ice that had him stuck to the floor. He looked up and saw the last of Harry’s opponents collapse to the floor, and suddenly was flaring brightly before leaping to his feet. Eggsy suddenly remembered reading books about the age of Ozai and the hundred year war, and how Firebending had become fuelled by anger, and as Rottie thrust his hand out and shot a ball of fire straight toward Harry’s exposed back Eggsy wanted to scream. To warn him. Somehow, though, he couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t get the words out, as he watched it get closer and melted the icy fragments in the air as it went and filled the room with a cool mist.

‘Ah, I was wondering if you were ever going to join the party.’ The mist parted just enough for Eggsy to see Harry turn and smirk before it filled the gaps again. Rottie roared and shot off several bursts that were snuffed out in seconds, never even reaching a table let alone their intended target. The air became oppressively warm, like a sauna which was actually quite annoying when one was fully closed, and Eggsy took a moment to direct the mist out and around from him as Rottie raged fruitlessly. He shot a stream of red from his fingertips, thin and red until it faded to pink and then entirely from view until Rottie let them fade entirely.

‘Hello there,’ Eggsy looked up to see Harry leant casually against the side of the booth, eyes locked on Rottie as he conducted the mist like an orchestra. ‘Are you alright, Eggsy?’ Eggsy stared incredulously at the older man, simultaneously impressed beyond belief and terrified of the repercussions this would end up in. But those were problems for future Eggsy to solve.

‘Yeah, I’m alright,’ Eggsy took a moment to set the future aside, ‘you?’

‘Oh, I’m  _ smashing _ .’ He held up a fist and all at once the mist froze, a solid wall of ice that landed solidly atop Rottie, knocking him unconscious, before dispersing back into the various places it had come from in the first place. Harry straightened his sleeves and sat himself back across from Eggsy as if he hadn’t just beaten six men to a pulp without breaking a sweat. He slouched into the chair, sighed, and pulled deep from his glass before speaking. Didn’t even bother unbuttoning his jacket.

‘Sorry about that- needed to let off a little steam.’ Harry’s eyes danced briefly before settling back to a semblance of composed. ‘Heard yesterday a friend of mine died- he knew your father, too, actually.’ Eggsy wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Harry didn’t seem so much broken up about it as resigned and maybe a bit frustrated- was he supposed to console him, somehow? Sorry for your loss?

‘Unfortunately, Eggsy, I shouldn’t have done this in front of you,’ Harry began messing with his watch, and all the thoughts he’d had of not being Harry’s target flew out the window. What was he going to do to him?

‘Swear down I won’t say nothin’. Please- if there’s one thing I c’n do it’s keep my mouth shut.’ Harry tilted his head slightly to one side, considering, like a snake examining prey.

‘You won’t tell a soul?’ Harry’s wrist didn’t waver, and Eggsy hoped he could convince him- even if all he had was a vague story and the memory of the boys getting their arses handed to them it was nothing he wanted to lose. He’d lost enough from his life as it was.

‘Ask the feds, I ain’t never grassed anyone up.’

‘Is that a promise?’

‘On my life,’

‘You don’t seem to have much self preservation, so do forgive me if I’m not thoroughly convinced,’ Harry paused, ‘but I’ll take your word for it. Much appreciated, Eggsy,’ He collected his brolly and left some coin for the tab, ‘You were right about the snobs- but there, too, there are exceptions.’ Eggsy lowered his arms and finished his drink with an internal sigh of relief.

‘Best of luck with everything, Eggsy,’ Harry clasped a hand to his shoulder, and somehow the aches and bruises he hadn’t known were bothering him faded. He felt lighter than he had in years, and Harry smiled as if he could tell before striding confidently from the room without looking back. Eggsy was helpless but to follow him with his eyes until the door latched shut behind him.


	6. Chapter 4

The news was boring. The same six things happened day in and day out with little difference between them and it was a waste of time to watch. But it was something to do, so Michelle and Dean were sat in front of the telly as a Water Nation man droned on about the ‘exciting’ new mover about the life of Valentine, who had gone from an unknown inventor to the man who had reinvented Spirit-based technology seemingly overnight. 

Valentine was everything the Upper Class loved: a man with an idea and the funds to shove it into the spotlight; and everything the Lower Classes dreamt of: someone with an idea who didn’t give up, and kept pushing, until he made it through the barrier. The former never seemed to think beyond his fortune, and the latter never thought beyond his past- but as much as Eggsy admired him and his spoken values, he was waiting to see some action. The technology he’d made would change so much if released to the public, if it was allowed to be studied and copied and distributed to the masses with no thought to the yuans that would come from it.

‘... and there are still no leads on the ever increasing missing persons list. There have been no calls for ransom, or evidence of harm, but without any clues hope is dwindling for their return. On WuTube a popular artist has compiled what they believe to be the qualities the perpetrator is using to choose their victims- and a likely list of who is next. Having been correct before, the authorities are beginning to take them a bit more seriously than they had been when this all began. Next on-’

Eggsy had taken the long way home, both to prolong his facing Dean directly and to give himself time to process what he’d witnessed. Harry was an enigma, seemingly stern and a bit cruel with what seemed to be a mischievous streak when pressed. There had been no reason to show off as he had, like a peacock-cat showing off for a mate, and though he had seemingly regretted his actions he hadn’t apologised for them. Just for letting Eggsy _see_ them, which was entirely different.

So Eggsy had a lot to think about, and meandering the neighbourhood was as good a way as any to do so. But, getting lost in one’s thoughts was a surefire way to be caught unawares, as Eggsy discovered as he walked in the door and his mum jumped up from the couch to try and push him back out before Dean saw-

Dean pulled the floor up to trap his feet as his fist ran into Eggsy’s face, his cruel grin a familiar sight and the already-forming bruise an old friend he hadn’t had the time to forget. The floor released his feet as Dean instead threw a stone ring around his neck and lifted him off the ground to slam him into the fridge. Once. Twice. His mum screamed, pleading, all unfortunately well known sounds as Egsy fought to keep his eyes open. He felt the stone give way and his feet landed on the ground just as Dean turned his attention to Michelle, grasping her chin between his thick fingers and throwing her away and onto the floor.

Ah. And now there was a knife, a large one, pressed beneath his chin and Eggsy was once again faced with the challenge of drawing breath without somehow making things worse.

‘Who was with you in that _fucking_ pub?’ The knife pressed a bit firmer against his throat, and Eggsy could feel the scrape and used every trick he could think of not to gulp desperately for air. ‘I wanna know the name of that geezer you was with!’ Dean used his free hand to slap him across the face before sending a nearby plate into his gut so hard it cracked. Or maybe the sound was his ribs- he couldn’t tell, at the moment.

‘I wasn’t with no one!’ Another plate, and the ring of stone returned to his neck, Dean instead using both hands to hold his projectiles aloft. He’d never gone this far before, and his mum was terrified, but all Eggsy could think about was how grateful he was that Daisy was tucked into the bedroom and wouldn’t have to see. He couldn’t do anything about the sound, but hopefully she was too young to remember.

‘ _Tell me!_ ’ A bowl, and the knife was brought back up to his chin, tip slicing through skin _just enough_ to sting, but not enough to scar. Dean knew what he was doing.

‘I don’t know what you’re fuckin’ on about!’ It was breathy, desperate, but he’d been serious when he told Harry he could keep his mouth shut. He’d kept his word for less, and no matter what happened here at least he’d kept his word. He didn’t have much beyond his honour, but what he had he defended fiercely.

Somewhere else, far enough removed to prevent any sort of tracing, Harry sat at his laptop. He could hear the sounds of flesh hitting flesh, the screams of a woman who could only be Michelle begging for the violence to end, and Eggsy denying all connection to him. He hadn’t done anything to deserve loyalty, had ensured his silence with all the promise of an already-cashed-in favour and an unspoken threat, but here the boy was. Keeping his mouth shut in the face of physical harm and without any sort of hope or guarantee that something would stop the other man.

‘I could kill you right now, you shitstain, and NO ONE in the whole world will know it!’ Michelle seemed to let loose a sob, and Eggsy’s indrawn breath let Harry know that something had changed. For all that this seemed to be a regular occurrence, the screaming and such not drawing any notice from neighbours, this had pushed Dean beyond the norm and there was genuine terror in Eggsy’s voice as he denied having been with anyone, once again, and Harry knew that this was his moment.

‘But I would,’ Harry’s voice boomed in the small space, and Eggsy looked at the door expecting to see the man walking through, ‘I have enough evidence of your activities to have you locked up for the rest of your pathetic life.’ Harry was nowhere to be found, and yet Eggsy felt himself relaxing just at the sound of his voice, and the moment Dean lowered the knife from him to wave it at the room as if he could cut sound from the air itself, Eggsy sighed in relief.

‘Who the fuck-’

‘I suggest you leave the boy alone,’ Michelle was still crying, one hand reaching toward Eggsy as the stone around his neck fell away in light of Dean’s distraction and he fell to the floor, ‘or I’ll be forced to provide it to the proper authorities. Eggsy?’ Despite his lack of physical presence Eggsy paused; whether he was awaiting instruction or salvation was anyone’s guess but he knew that whatever Harry asked he would listen. ‘Meet me at the bookshop I told you about.’

Eggsy pushed Dean clear across the room with a gust of wind that he wouldn’t otherwise have dared to use, and spared his mum a sad look before bolting out the door. He’d barely closed the door behind him before there was a shout and from instinct alone Eggsy managed to dodge the chunk of stone flying at him. Apparently it’d been long enough for the goons to have licked their wounds and rallied at Dean’s physically. Though Eggsy had hoped Dean had known about the pub from a call, instead of being so handily surrounded, but he couldn’t say he was surprised by this turn of events. Eggsy ducked and weaved and leapt onto the ledge, swung his body around a pole and launched himself into the air.

  
Poodle sent more rocks at him, and Eggsy caught them one by one before shooting them back in a swift fling of his wrist. Poodle growled and swat them away from his face, and Rottie threw a ribbon of fire that barely licked his ankle before Eggsy kicked it away with a grin. _This_ was what he loved about Air: the _freedom._ He hit the snaps on his jacket and spread his arms, easily evading the rest of the goons’ projectiles as glided over the town and made his way toward the Kingsman bookshop.


	7. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy exposition batman! Harry's got a bit of a monologue at the end but I mean... ^^;;
> 
> Yeah, I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not actually. I needed to find a way to merge these concepts in a way that fit both universes- and I think I did okay! I hope you're all enjoying this strange adventure I've decided to take :)

Eggsy landed before the bookshop, an innocuous building with the familiar small passageways for Knowledge Seekers tucked into shadowed corners and a familiar insignia emblazoned on the door. He pulled the pai sho tile out from beneath his shirt, and spent a long moment looking between the two, wondering how he got here. Through the windowed door he could see the dim lighting, spirit energy flowing through glass that lined the ceiling, a pale facsimile to the bright lights of a shopping mall or grocer’s shop. A warm, inviting, light that was enough to see and read by without being oppressive- and in the middle of it all, Harry sat on a plush sofa with a glass of amber liquid. He locked eyes with Eggsy through the glass, and Eggsy watched as a stream of water came up and around from somewhere unseen before curling around the handle of the door before pushing it open.

‘Well,’ Eggsy could hear the laughter in his voice, ‘are you coming?’ Harry hid his smirk behind his glass as he took a sip, the water barely brushing Eggsy’s jaw as it made its way back beyond Harry. 

‘Ha ha, very funny,’ Harry tipped his glass as Eggsy shut the door behind him with a wave, ‘Y’know I’ve never met anyone from Lotus b’sides you. And, somehow,’ Eggsy looked him up and down, hands in his pockets, ‘I know you ain’t one.’ Harry seemed to roll his eyes, or maybe he just closed them to savour the last bit of his drink, before setting the glass aside.

‘Come with me.’ Harry rose from the couch swiftly, not a movement wasted, and walked confidently to one of the study rooms. Through the door he could see a desk covered in books and scrolls, a hook on the wall that bore a coat and a flat cap, and tucked into a corner was another of the Knowledge Seeker’s passages. Eggsy wondered what he was thinking, as he followed Harry into the room, just doing what Harry asked when there was no one who could possibly vouch for him. If this went wrong-

But there’s no reason for it to go wrong, he rationalised to himself as he made his way across the room. Harry had had many opportunities to harm him, or to allow harm to come to him, and he’d done the opposite. If he wasn’t crazy Harry had even _healed him_ after the fight at the pub, for all the good it did him now. As if having heard his thoughts, a ball of water appeared before him, though Harry hadn’t moved a finger, and pressed itself to his face. Eggsy hissed, flinched away, but the water pressed further still and glowed and he couldn’t help but sigh in relief as it meandered across his face and throat, healing the bruising and the cuts Dean had given him just hours ago.

‘Come on in,’ Eggsy opened his eyes, not aware he’d closed them, and as he entered the room Harry shut the door, his other hand gestured toward the mirror Eggsy had entirely failed to notice. Harry stood behind him, at an angle, and Eggsy watched as the water that had been healing him pulled away before returning to Harry’s belt. ‘What do you see?’

‘Someone who wants to know what the fuck is goin’ on. And you, I guess.’ Eggsy decided that, whatever was going to happen next, he wasn’t giving a fuck. If he spent all his time wondering and questioning every little detail he’d get nowhere fast- but he couldn’t taper his curiosity completely. He didn’t let himself hide the confusion in his eyes, in the slouch of his shoulders, in the ever so slight drop of his jaw- he wasn’t going to _lie,_ no matter how much more secure it made him feel to do so.

‘Cheeky,’ Harry smiled, one side pulled up yet both his eyes crinkled at the edges, ‘I see a young man with potential.’ Eggsy froze, his jaw dropped just _slightly_ more than it had been before, and he wanted to knock his head and clear his ears. _What?_ ‘A young man who is loyal, who can do what he’s asked, and wants to do something good with his life,’ Harry locked eyes with him in the reflection, ‘does that sound accurate?’

‘Don’t sound much like the kid you met at the pub earlier,’ So maybe he’s a bit bitter about that.

‘I’m not in the habit of apologising for the truth- but I _am_ sorry for how I presented it to you. I was not acting when I said I’d had a rather emotional day, and unfortunately part of that I took out on you prior to you luring some more acceptable targets to me. Now,’ Harry gave Eggsy no time to process, no time to accept or reject the apology he’d hidden, ‘have you seen the mover Trading Places?’ Eggsy shook his head, reeling from all the changes of direction, ‘Nikita? Pretty Woman?’

‘No,’ Harry sighed to himself, and Eggsy felt the sudden urge to apologise.

‘Alright,’ Harry shook his head, as if to clear it, ‘my point is that a lack of silver spoon may have set you on a path- but you don’t need to stay on it. If you’re prepared to adapt, to learn, you could _transform.’_ Harry took a deep breath, and Eggsy felt as if he was finally _getting it._

‘Like in My Fair Lady?’ Harry looked down as him physically, seeming to forget the reflection before them, with wide eyes and twitching lips. A joke he’d somehow told but wasn’t in on.

‘Well, aren’t you full of surprises. Yes, Eggsy- like in My Fair Lady. Only in this case,’ Harry paused, a look in his eye that Eggsy couldn’t identify, ‘I’m offering you the chance to be a Kingsman.’

‘A “bookkeeper”?’ Eggsy used his fingers to emphasise how little believed the façade.

‘A Kingsman _agent_.’

‘Like a spy?’ Eggsy raised a brow with a grin, not truly believing what he’d said but pushing the envelope of Harry’s patience- or so he thought.

‘Of sorts.’ Apparently he was more on the nose than he’d thought, but he couldn’t help but scoff. What about today did Harry think was worth doing all this for?

‘Dean’s fixing to weight me to the riverbed and mum’s done nothin’ to stop him and his wreaking havoc around the joint. There’s only so much I can forgive and forget, you get me? D’you really think I’ve got anything to lose?’

‘Young man I have no doubt that you have a great deal to lose- but you also have a great deal more to gain, just as your father did.’ Harry glanced at Eggsy through the mirror, eyes soft in a way Eggsy couldn’t quite describe, and all he could do in reply was swallow and nod once. For better or worse, he wanted to know where this went- he wanted to know even this miniscule fragment of his dad’s life, and damn the consequences. He’d given up so much for the sake of his mum and her wishes- this was going to be for _him_.

Harry stepped up to the mirror and extended a hand, placed it fully onto the glass before stepping away with a firm nod. There was a loud click, a shift along the floor’s edges, and the room began to fall. Not fast, just a steady shift downward that wasn’t accompanied by the harsh clang of machinery or the sound of rock shifting. Eggsy couldn’t help but look up, at the ceiling as it grew too small to see, at the walls as they shifted from paint to metal to stone and back to metal again, then back down at the floor as if hoping to see the mechanisms that powered it.

‘Shortly after Kuvira’s defeat at the hands of Avatar Korra,’ Harry began, distracting Eggsy thoroughly from the room at large, ‘a prospective member of the White Lotus grew a bit jaded by the organisation having been reduced to the protectors and trainers of the Avatar. They had once been much more than that, powerful leaders in their own rights helping to protect the world from the shadows. He saw that their new structure inhibited the types of assistance they were able to offer- and as he spoke to members of the Nations he found that they agreed.’ Harry peered at him from the corner of his eye, a look somewhere between cunning and understanding on his face. ‘After all, the police had not stopped Amon or the Red Lotus- and Kuvira had nearly defeated the Avatar despite all of her guided training. Who could protect the people, if their guidance had left such exploitable weaknesses? Never mind that the Avatar is just as human as the rest of society, but they saw her as a deity and treated her and her actions accordingly. There could be no flaws; at least, none that couldn’t be quickly explained away.

‘But that’s beside the point. The people of the four nations began to galvanise around a set of movers released by VGI that featured Non-Benders, Benders, and Spirit advisors working in tandem to protect the world regardless of societal status, skill, or political affiliation. The Kingsman became a symbol of justice and peace regardless of borders; there were radio theatrical productions and televised programmes, school plays and novels- it wasn’t uncommon to find people bearing their symbols tattooed to their body or stitched into their clothing. Desna decided to capitalise on this and formed our organisation in an effort to gather people who wished to preserve peace and protect life. The Avatar was a single flawed being, bridge between worlds or not, and though every group has their faults he decided that the potential benefits far outweighed the risks.

‘As we look around us today, the Avatar has become far less important than they were in the past. To be frank, the Avatar and thus the Order of the White Lotus have become effectively defunct in light of society as it stands now- and at least the last three Avatars, if lifespan estimates are correct, have born and died in utter obscurity. We care more for the stars of the latest mover and political celebrity than any supposed bringer of balance; and the benefits of multi-bending became less impressive with every derivative discovered and harnessed by the masses. Kingsman, shadowed as it is and always has been, has stepped into that protectorate role; we work outside of bureaucracy to ensure the safety of the world, no matter the actions necessary to do so, with no care for recognition of our sacrifices.’

Eggsy wasn’t sure what to do with the sheer quantity of information thrown at him just then- it was too late to turn back, no that he even entertained the thought beyond wondering if he was vaguely worthy of such a risk. He was here, in a seemingly endless lift that had once been a study, the future looking more and more impossible by the moment.


	8. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates may take more time from here- between work, holidays, and birthdays I don't have as much free time as I did, but this is going to happen. I just hope some of you will be there when it does!

‘Shit, we’re late.’ Harry didn’t seem to be bothered by the prospect, examining his watch with a lazy look before slowly sitting up and making his way from the bullet train. Eggsy tried to take his cue from him, to walk at an even pace and simply take everything in stride, but couldn’t help but jump from the train and lengthen his stride as if to get to wherever it was they were going faster. Not that he could lead the way, he was a bit captive to Harry’s pace, but he didn’t let himself stop and look at everything going on around him. It was beyond difficult, and then Harry stopped in front of a wide window, a wall of glass, and just beyond it lay the most expansive hangar he had ever seen. 

There were spirit vines climbing up the walls, A hundred cars in various styles, at least twice that in aircraft, and Eggsy couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever get the chance to see any of it in action. His jaw had gaped open, and he knew his eyes were bugging out from their sockets, absolutely amazed at everything that was laid out before him. He couldn’t help but grin, or as close of an approximation as his gaped mouth could manage; the sight before him had shifted something inside that he didn’t have words for.

‘Your father had the same look on his face,’ Harry was looking at him physically, not in the reflection of the glass, and Eggsy turned, attention still half on the hangar, ‘as did I.’ He stepped away and Eggsy saw from the corner of his eye the soft look Harry gave him as he opened a door off to the side, and swept an arm in an attempt to get Eggsy to follow- but it was all he could do to make his feet move, unable to tear his eyes away for a moment until it was literally out of view. Eggsy’d never had the opportunity to  _ know _ he was echoing his dad’s footsteps before, never been able to  _ know  _ he was making a call that his dad would be proud of, and he wanted to commit every second to memory.

No matter how brief this adventure ended up being, in the grand scheme of things, Eggsy didn’t want to forget a  _ moment _ .

The walls were a strange mix of new tech and old fashioned development beneath glass, the tops a series of tubes, spirit energy a steady glow down the hall, another of lightning midway down, the space between a thick mist, and below that was a steady flow of magma. It was a beautiful melding of old and new, of the places between that the elements met in, and Eggsy would swear until the day he died that that was the reason he’d entirely missed the Knowledge Seeker until he’d nearly stepped on them.  _ This just kept happening. _

‘Oh, shit, sorry.’ Eggsy knelt down and gathered the scrolls that had scattered into the hall, piling them neatly and passing them over with a sheepish smile. They nodded, briefly, to one another before Eggsy stood and wiped dust that wasn’t there from his denims. Harry was paused ahead of him, a brow raised and a soft smile on his face.

‘Not often you find humans apologising to spirits,’ Harry gave the Knowledge Seeker a nod as they went by, tail up and pawsteps silent, ‘especially from new recruits.’

‘Y’know with all you said about Kingsman bein’ about equal opportunity an’ shit I expected better from you lot’s candidates. Dunno why, you’re all old toffs by the looks of it.’ Another man in a suit passed by, silver at his temples, walking beside another with a smooth face but weathered hands. Eggsy wondered how they’d gotten that way. 

‘I can’t disagree with you there- but I hope that I’ve shown myself to be a-’

‘You’re late is what you are, Galahad.’ A bald man, strangely familiar though Eggsy couldn’t quite place the memory, looked up from a clipboard and over his glasses as he approached. ‘Not,’ He smirked, ‘that that’s unusual for you. Is this your candidate?’

‘That’s my codename,’ Harry whispered to Eggsy before turning to the man who had spoken, ‘yes, this is Eggsy.’ Harry rested both hands briefly on his shoulders, and Eggsy spared a thought to the image they had to make, with Harry pressing Eggsy forward like a young initiate (and, honestly, wasn’t that kind of what he was?) as his body relaxed and his aches faded entirely. He wished he could thank Harry for the kindness, for the Healing that he now realised was happening, but the bald man had a look in his eye that kept Eggsy’s mouth shut.

‘Well, in you go.’ The wall seemed to melt away, and beyond it lay a cloistered group or people around his age; as soon as he’d cleared the threshold the wall reconstructed itself, glass and all, and no one besides himself found that at all exciting. That wall was a  _ marvel _ , a physical in-between of Elements that he couldn’t make heads or tails of how it functioned. He could only wonder as to the  _ why _ it had come to be. But Eggsy listened to the thrum behind him: the near-silent hum of electricity, the slow sloshing of moving magma, the tinkling bells of spirit, the likely imagined whoosh of air slowly breaking through mist before rejoining again… they settled something Eggsy hadn’t known was anxious, as he brought himself to try and join the other occupants.

‘Fall in,’ Eggsy snapped to attention before making even, quick, strides backward to fit into line with the rest of the candidates as the man from the hall seemed to simply  _ appear _ in the room. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ He _seemed_ unassuming, held himself with an ease he couldn’t help but envy, but after seeing Harry at the pub Eggsy thought he knew better than to assume anything; ‘my name is Merlin. You are about to embark on what is probably the most dangerous job interview in the world. One of you, and  _ only  _ one of you, will become the next Lancelot.’ Merlin shifted to one side, and a pillar threw itself from the ground before landing with a dull thud, a pile of synthetic material stuck to the top. ‘Can anybody tell me what this is?’

_ A body bag,  _ Eggsy thought to himself, somehow unsurprised but unwilling to raise his hand like a schoolboy. The others seemed to know, anyway, from the way they seemed to lack his reluctance and universally had their hands in the air with eyes locked unwaveringly forward.

‘A body bag, sir.’ Eggsy barely kept himself from startling as the voice chimed from behind him, the heat that accompanied it as unmistakable as the crackling sparks that erupted as his hands met behind his back. Lightning.

‘Correct- Charlie, isn’t it?’

‘Yes sir,’ there was a cocky set to his jaw, and somehow Eggsy  _ knew _ that this was going to be the arsehole he’d be fighting himself not to deck for however long he lasted.

‘Now,’ Merlin took a step back, and in front of him eight more body bags came up from the floor, supported by spiralled columns of steel and stone, ‘in a moment every one of you will take one of these bags, and you will write both your name and the details of your next of kin on that bag. This is to show you lot understand the risks you’re about to face as well as confidentiality. Strict. Confidentiality.’ His gaze moved to each of them in turn, and Eggsy didn’t dare to breathe while their eyes were locked. ‘And,’ Merlin suddenly smirked, and Eggsy immediately decided that fuck whatever the real protocol was supposed to be- Dean was going on that tag no matter what he said next. ‘If you just so  _ happen _ to break that confidentiality the result will be both you  _ and _ your next of kin being placed in that bag.’

Well, if there was one thing Eggsy knew he wasn’t going to do it was snitch, no matter how bad he did. So, luckily for him, writing Dean’s name wouldn’t have any real consequences. He definitely didn’t want to be sardined in there with that fucker, even if they were both dead. But, come to think of it, Merlin hadn’t specified that they’d be dead- just that they’d both be in that bag. A bag built for one.  _ Aaaaaaand _ that’s where he cut that thought off.

‘Is that understood?’ Merlin didn’t bother to wait for a reply, one lip curling upwards and a twinkle in his eye that made Eggsy shudder. ‘Excellent. Fall out.’ He exited the room, the wall once again melting away before oozing back into place despite the glass and currents, and Eggsy allowed himself a deep breath, surreptitiously, to recentre himself. The others dispersed around him, approaching each of the pillars and examining it as if there were something special about the body bags they had to figure out before labelling them- Eggsy just grabbed the nearest one and pulled the cap off the marker with a savage grin. If he was going down in this unbelievable circumstance, he’d take Dean with him- either way his mum and Daisy would be safe.

‘Roxanne,’ a hand jumped into his field of vision, and Eggsy looked up into a pair of determined eyes, ‘but, you could call me Roxy.’ She shrugged the shoulder of her extended arm, and Eggsy could see the strength and surety in every muscle. She wanted this position, and knew more than he did, but wanted connection. Maybe an alliance? Eggsy hadn’t a clue as to how this interview was going to work but thus far she was the only one to acknowledge him. Even if it was for being different.

‘I’m Eggsy.’ He clasped wrists with her, a familiar Earth gesture of good will he’d picked up from one of Ryan’s cousins. He could tell he’d surprised her, the twitch of her fingers before they gripped fully, but she smiled at him in reply despite her quirked brow. Which, fair enough, it was a strange name- but it was his, and that was enough for him.

‘Eggy?’ One of the other candidates sauntered up behind him, and Eggsy ignored him, just continued to fill out his bag after sharing a conspiratory look with Roxy- it was nothing he hadn’t heard before. ‘Where’d they dig you up?’ Eggsy felt the hairs on his arms stand on end and turned just in time to miss the approaching hand. It was the man with the sparks, the one who’d answered Merlin with far more than the confidence of someone who knew what an object was- the one who’d seemed almost  _ amused _ by the introduction and had huffed a laugh at the supposed risks Merlin had mentioned.

Eggsy already didn’t like him on principle. 

‘You know we can’t discuss who proposed us.’ Roxy cut in, seemingly oblivious to the tension.

‘Oi, moose-lion, back off. Charlie’s just making conversation-ain’t that right?’ 

But Eggsy wasn’t surprised by the antics, or the fake laughter that followed the rhetorical question, because posh kids were all the same. You’d think with the world being so large there’d be some variety but every Nation, bender or non, said the same kind of shit. The words could be different, but it all meant the same thing: I’m better than you. Which was all sorts of bullshit; no person was  _ better _ than anybody else, just different.

‘I’m Digby, that’s Rufus,’ Eggsy looked from the blonde to another man in a tacky outfit just behind Charlie, who lifted a hand in greeting. ‘Rufus, Eggy.’ There was a droplet of moisture going down the back of his neck, like a bit of sweat but more purposed, and Eggsy wondered which of them was trying to get him to snap. And why- they hadn’t even really started to complete, what would be the benefit? Rich people were weird, and Eggsy saw no reason to let them think he was bothered.

‘So, Eggy,’ Rufus leant partially forward, hands behind his back, and Eggsy felt a brush of wind just behind the droplet of water; ‘are you from a Lotus family, then?’ The two benders, whichever was Rufus and whichever was Digby, had to be  _ very _ familiar with one another to be so in sync. Even he and Jamal had had to practise for  _ ages _ before being able to pull a stunt like the one they were trying now. But, unluckily for them, to learn a trick is to know the ins and outs- and Eggsy let the feeling flow through him, let the shock of not-quite-ice start and end within and let out a breath that was, from the outside, no different from any other.

‘Nah,’ He took a great amount of joy from the tightening of their eyes as no reaction was forthcoming. Bullies hate when they don’t get what they’re looking for, and Eggsy was banking on there being some form of surveillance in the room that would prevent them from escalating too far. He  _ wanted _ this, he wanted to try and push himself and see how far he could get on his own merit- something he hadn’t dared to try since the Marines.

‘Oh, you went to one of the Beifong academies then?’ Charlie looked up from where he seemed to be examining Eggsy’s shoes, the quirk of his lips enough for Eggsy to predict what was coming next.

‘Wait, I think I’ve met you before- didn’t you serve me at the White Dragon tea house?’ Digby smirked as Eggsy propped himself against the end of the nearest bed, and made a show of looking the trio up and down before smirking.

‘If I had, I’d have given you somethin’ off the secret menu.’ Eggsy made a rude gesture, easily giving him what he was looking for, and hoped that would be enough for them to leave him be. He laughed to himself as he turned back to the task at hand, the image of having “accidentally” given the trio a pot of white jade instead of white dragon nestled beautifully with the real memory of Rottie knocked out at the Black Prince.

‘Just ignore them-’

‘D’you need a pen?’ Roxy was cut off by another woman, intense eyes and a severe jawline but an understanding smile on her face.

‘Cheers,’ Eggsy took the pen, having lost his somewhere amidst the arseholery, and turned his attention to finally finishing the blank spaces with Dean’s information with a savage grin.

‘Amelia, isn’t it?’ She nodded, and Eggsy noted the way they clasped wrists before sliding it into a loose handshake- that wasn’t the greeting of strangers, and Eggsy kicked himself for not immediately assuming that most of them would already know each other, if only vaguely. He was already at a disadvantage (more than one, between his distinct lack of luggage compared to the others) due to his haphazard recruitment, and now he had this to contend with as well. But, at least _some_ of the other candidates were happpy to introduce themselves.

‘Amelia, Eggsy.’ Roxy gestured to him, and Amelia extended a hand, palm-up, with a soft smile. He returned it, resting his palm gently against hers with a small burst of wind and a wink- he didn’t know how she knew an Air greeting, let alone that he could bend at all, but it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme. After a moment he slid his hand up to clasp her wrist as he had Roxy’s, and her grin became a bit more fierce.

‘Don’t listen to a thing they say- they talk a lot of shit to cover up a distinct lack of skill.’ Roxy grinned and agreed; Eggsy allowed himself to look at his filled label: blood type, Nation (and wasn’t that confusing, what with being a kid of Water and Air?), next of kin- and he must have taken a moment too long, seemed apprehensive or scared, as Roxy laid a hand on his arm.

‘It’s just scare tactics- nobody’s going to die.’ Amelia kept her distance, more reserved than Roxy seemed to be with touch, but nodded in agreement. Eggsy didn’t  _ think  _ they’d kill anyone- but that didn’t mean that someone wouldn’t die.

He knew that possibility all too well.

And though no one had given him any rules, had told him what he was and wasn’t allowed to discuss, Eggsy didn’t feel like sharing his dad’s story. That was his, and Harry’s, and whoever else was actually there when it happened- not theirs. But, still, he looked over his shoulder at Charlie and the others before raising a brow in her direction.

‘Shame.’

**Author's Note:**

> You can always find me on tumblr at [AgentDagonet](http://www.agentdagonet.tumblr.com) feel free to send me prompts or recs or just pop by to chat :) Questions/Comments/Ideas are ALWAYS welcome!


End file.
